Sunday night’s show at the Dakota jazz club, May 20, was billed as “Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band.” But, for his early show, Lewis spent nearly all of his time onstage playing the Steinway grand piano rather than the Fender Rhodes electric situated a few feet away.

No one in the audience seemed to mind, though, since the acoustically resonant grand piano seems to be the best vehicle for Lewis to express his mastery of keyboard touch and nuance.

Lewis and his quintet opened with “Wade in the Water,” a traditional Afro-American spiritual he turned into a pop instrumental hit when he recorded it in 1966. The first time the Chicago native played that song was in church, Lewis remarked, referencing the gospel elements woven through his music.

Guitarist Henry Johnson, who has developed his own following as a jazz artist, proved to be the perfect musical partner for Lewis, picking a solo that was richly studded with singing blue notes. Keyboardist Tim Gant, who provided the most prominent “electric” element of the band’s sound, added some organ under-layer.

The next piece, Lewis’ ballad “Love Song,” was a textbook example of the effective use of space and dynamics, as Lewis caressed the keys with his trademark, quiet eloquence.

Then he picked up the tempo with a calypso-like piece, part of a suite Lewis composed for and performed with Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet a few years ago.

Another change of pace followed with Lewis’ solo rendition of tenor sax icon John Coltrane’s meditative piece “Dear Lord,” segueing seamlessly into Lewis’ own spiritual ballad “Blessings.” Over Lewis’ harmonically-rich chording, bassist Joshua Ramos used his bow to add some singing, cello-like tones.

Lewis opened his new tunes with some declamatory, gospel riffs and then launched into an emotive instrumental version of Ray Charles’ classic “Drown In My Own Tears,” once again referencing the unbreakable, organic link between gospel and soul music.

Lewis, who will turn 77 May 27, neatly segued into a gospel medley that incorporated snippets of “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” and “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” among other spiritual standards.

For his encore, Lewis enlisted the audience’s vocal help on the familiar “wheeoo” chorus of “Sun Goddess,” a million-selling, 1974 radio staple he co-wrote and recorded with Earth Wind and Fire’s Maurice White. Lewis turned to the Fender Rhodes for that bit of polyester-era, pop nostalgia.

Lewis and his electric band will perform again Monday at the Dakota at 7 and 9 p.m.

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